The Government of India has announced that it will resume issuing short-term, single-entry tourist visas effective 15 November 2025—its first major easing of inbound visa restrictions since the tail end of the COVID-19 emergency.
According to an official notice circulated to overseas missions and published by the Indo-Canadian Voice on 5 November, foreign nationals may apply from 10 November at outsourced visa-processing centres such as BLS International. The visa will be valid for 30 days and must be used within 120 days of issue. Entry will be permitted by air or sea, but not through land borders.
![India to reopen 30-day single-entry tourist visas from 15 November]()
Long-term e-tourist visas (one-, three- and five-year) remain suspended, and the e-visa facility for Canadian citizens is still on hold. Officials said the re-opening is limited and “gratis” (no consular fee) to stimulate group and individual leisure travel in time for the winter peak, while India finalises a new risk-based health-screening framework.
Industry bodies such as the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) welcomed the move, projecting an additional 150,000 leisure arrivals by March 2026. However, travel agents cautioned that processing backlogs and continued restrictions on land entry could dampen demand from neighbouring countries.
Practical tips: (1) Travellers must upload fresh visa applications even if they hold an unused long-term e-visa; (2) proof of onward travel and travel insurance covering COVID-19 treatment are still recommended; (3) carriers have been told to deny boarding to passengers holding suspended e-visa categories.
According to an official notice circulated to overseas missions and published by the Indo-Canadian Voice on 5 November, foreign nationals may apply from 10 November at outsourced visa-processing centres such as BLS International. The visa will be valid for 30 days and must be used within 120 days of issue. Entry will be permitted by air or sea, but not through land borders.
Long-term e-tourist visas (one-, three- and five-year) remain suspended, and the e-visa facility for Canadian citizens is still on hold. Officials said the re-opening is limited and “gratis” (no consular fee) to stimulate group and individual leisure travel in time for the winter peak, while India finalises a new risk-based health-screening framework.
Industry bodies such as the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) welcomed the move, projecting an additional 150,000 leisure arrivals by March 2026. However, travel agents cautioned that processing backlogs and continued restrictions on land entry could dampen demand from neighbouring countries.
Practical tips: (1) Travellers must upload fresh visa applications even if they hold an unused long-term e-visa; (2) proof of onward travel and travel insurance covering COVID-19 treatment are still recommended; (3) carriers have been told to deny boarding to passengers holding suspended e-visa categories.
